Making The Complicated Simple

Do you have a favorite sports team? A favorite Athlete? One of my favorite athletes is Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan was my inspiration to join the basket ball team in high school. Every year during playoff season, when the Chicago Bulls were playing, I couldn’t wait to see how Michael Jordan was going to save the day. He had this incredible talent to score perfectly when you thought all hope was gone, that the team was losing. I admire Michael Jordan because it takes incredible focus and discipline to be so consistent.

Year after year there is an athlete that emerges with incredible performance to prove to us that we only set limits for ourselves. Sometimes we take these athletes and put them in a separate category, thinking they must have had every opportunity lined up to make it so far. But when we watch movies or read biographies on how they became so good at what they do, we realize that they are people like us who faced challenges, difficulties and some even had less opportunities than us today. Those movies and books leave us inspired and always propel us to give or best. At times when I don’t feel like I am making any progress or just feel like not giving my best I read about an amazing athlete or watch a documentary to listen to motivating quotes from those icons. I always come out humbled because most of the times I realize that I have more resources and can accomplish more. I also regain strength to continue in the pursuit of my goals.

In today’s post I gathered amazing quotes from great athletes that will motivate you, and encourage you to continue to push yourself in your journey.

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” ~ Muhammad Ali

“It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.” ~ Muhammad Ali

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” ~ Michael Jordan

“If you are going to be a champion, you must be willing to pay a greater price.” ~ Bud Wilkinson

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” ~ Lance Armstrong

“Winning is about heart, not just legs. It’s got to be in the right place.” ~Lance Armstrong

“If you train hard, you’ll not only be hard, you’ll be hard to beat.” ~ Herschell Walker

“It’s all about the journey, not the outcome.” ~ Carl Lewis

“I Can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” ~Michael Jordan

“A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.”~Vince Lombardi

“If you don’t have confidence, you’ll always find a way not to win.” ~ Carl Lewis

“I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want.” ~ Muhammad Ali

“If you even dream of beating me you’d better wake up and apologize.” ~ Muhammad Ali

“The pain of discipline is far less than the pain of regret” ~ Sarah Bombell

“You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.”~ Jerry West

“The man who has no imagination has no wings.” ~ Muhammad Ali

“Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.” ~John Wooden

“Hard work is the only way to go. Strive to be the best you can be and remember that when you try your best, you can’t ask any more from yourself, and people can’t ask any more from you.”~Michael Chang

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” ~ Vince Lombardi

“The something inside me that always fought to win, that never gave into the pain and that accepted no less than 110 percent has never been gone … because that something was simply me.” ~ Julie Krone

“Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like muscles of the body.”~ Lynn Jennings

“Natural talent only determines the limits of your athletic potential. It’s dedication and a willingness to discipline your life that makes you great.”~Billie Jean King

“It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself.”~ Muhammad Ali

“Some people say I have attitude – maybe I do… but I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does – that makes you a winner right there.” ~ Venus Williams

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”~ John Wooden